Honoring history, lifting stories, and uncovering the truth of who we are and what’s shaped us is critical to our work in advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion in our community. As one of Communities Foundation of Texas’ three strategic priorities, advancing equity is essential in building thriving communities for all. We cannot work to build a community where everyone can thrive without also doing the work of ensuring that our community members have equitable opportunities and access to resources. At CFT, we are committed to the process of learning, leaning in, and sharing with our community what we’re learning as we go.
With that, we are honoring culture and history within our work and with our teams and invite the community to come alongside us. This month, we’re doing that by celebrating Black History Month.
Black History Month, observed each February in the United States, is an annual celebration that honors the historical contributions of African Americans and celebrates their rich heritage, legacy, achievements, and cultural traditions. Since 1976, each Black History Month has underscored a unique aspect of the Black experience by lifting a poignant theme that deepens the historical narrative and shapes conversations and progress for the future. The Association for the Study of African American Life and History has selected Black Resistance as the 2023 Black History Month theme, underscoring how African Americans have resisted historic and ongoing oppression and highlighting the continued need for justice against discrimination.
“By resisting, Black people have achieved triumphs, successes, and progress as seen in the end of slavery, dismantling of Jim Crow segregation in the South, increased political representation, desegregation of educational institutions, the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, and more.” – Association for the Study of African American Life and History, 2023
The stories that color the resistance of Black Americans span centuries and capture some of the darkest times in American history. And yet – rising from those stories are those whose resilience created pathways for a cultural shift that propels our collective progress. Those are stories worth honoring.
As CFT continues its mission to create a thriving community for all, we are working to uncover how history has shaped our work and positions us to serve the community in the variety of ways that we do. We are deeply aware of how the stories of Black Americans—specifically in Texas—have directly impacted where we are and where we’re going.
From Dr. Marcellus Cooper, the first Black dentist in Texas, who was born enslaved on the Caruth Farm; to Pearl C. Anderson, the Black woman who made CFT’s first six-figure gift; to Alfreda Norman, CFT’s first Black board Chair; to Richie Butler, Founder of Project Unity and current Board Chair; these are just a few of the names in CFT’s history that have shaped our organization. They are among the many who have fought against oppressive systems and charted new pathways that allow us to make a deep and lasting impact in our community.
Join Us as We Learn and Engage
Communities Foundation of Texas is celebrating Black History Month with our staff and community partners by engaging in the following events that give us a better understanding of Black history:
- A staff-wide read of Dallas racial history book The Accommodation by Jim Schutze as part of the Big D Reads’ community-wide read. Watch or listen to past Big D Reads events centered on Dallas racial history
- Partnering with the Dallas Holocaust and Human Rights Museum on its Upstander Speaker Series event featuring speaker Opal Lee, known as the “Grandmother of Juneteenth.” Learn more and join us for the February 7 conversation with Opal Lee
- Partnering with Big D Reads and Dallas College’s Office of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and the Offices of the Presidents on a conversation with Dr. Jasmine D. Parker, Jim Schutze, and Commissioner John Wiley Price. Learn more and join us for the February 15 conversation with Jasmine D. Parker, Jim Schutze, and John Wiley Price
- Attending Dallas Freedmantowns & Dr. M.C. Cooper DDS with David Newton & Lewis Rhone a conversation with David Newton, who was commissioned to sculpt the Dallas Freedman Cemetery Memorial Park, and Lewis Rhone, the longest living grandson of Dr. Marcellus Clayton Cooper, the first licensed African-American dentist in Dallas. This conversation is part of the Art Talk Lecture Series by Latino Arts Project and will be held Thursday, February 16.
- Participating in a Project Unity “Together We Dine” luncheon and conversation with our CFT for Business community partners and CFT staff. As a part of our work to advance equity in our community, CFT for Business is thrilled to partner with Project Unity to offer a healthy and structured dialogue about race relations. Join fellow Business Impact Network members for the February 23 Together We Dine Black History Month Learning conversation
- Hosting “A Catalyst for Community Change – A Conversation with Dr. Elizabeth Alexander” – note: this event has been postponed due to weather; new date forthcoming
As we work to advance community equity, we hope to honor, understand, and learn from our history and engage in conversations that work toward strengthening race relations.
About the author
Dr. Reo Pruiett, Ed.D. is CFT’s Chief Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Officer. Read her biography here.
Additional Resources:
The Association for the Study of African American Life and History – Black History Themes
National Museum of African American History & Culture – Celebrate Black History Month 2023
